‘Low cost energy is a challenge’

STORY: FROM NANA YIADOM DANQUAH, TAKORADI
Mr. Ato Pamford, Western and Central Regional chairman of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), has pointed out that the need to make energy available at a reasonable cost has become a challenge to the country due to the phenomenal demand for energy in recent years with the fast growth in global economic activity, coupled with population growth.
According to him, one of the key ways that has been acknowledged to overcome the energy supply constraints is to adopt energy efficiency methods since energy efficiency leads to significant cuts in carbon emissions, which have adverse impact on the environment.
He contended that companies and institutions that understand the importance of energy efficiency and how to implement energy efficient practices lower their cost and boost profits to ensure their viability. However, the private sector recognising the importance of the concept of energy efficiency collaborated with the government to establish the Ghana Energy Foundation as a public-private partnership entity to promote energy efficiency initiatives in the country.
This was in a speech read on his behalf by Mr. Emmanuel Kwao, Western Regional Executive Member of AGI at a two-day training seminar organised by the Energy Foundation in collaboration with AGI with funding support from the Ministry of Trade and Industry for members of the Western Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry and AGI.
The seminar was to enable participants to re-engineer their energy usage processes to make them more competitive to sustain their operations for the benefit of the region in particular and the nation as a whole.
Participants were taken from the Western Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the AGI and enlightened on topics such as: energy management in industries, tariff analysis, electrical system considerations, motor and transformer technologies, motor control technologies and application etc.
In an interview with Today, Mr. Ernest Asare, Executive Director of Energy Foundation, emphasized that only energy efficient compact florescent bulbs and air conditioners bearing energy efficiency label would be allowed to be imported into the country, adding that LI 1815 (2007) mandates the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) to impound any electrical appliance that is imported into the country without the label.
He explained that LI 1932 (2008) bans the importation and sales of incandescent bulbs, used air conditioners and refrigerators in the country. However, he was quick to add that education on the ban alone could not help avoid usage of these devices hence the need to get a mandatory backing to enjoin the people from its usage.
In this regard, Mr. Asare implored importers and consumers to look for energy efficiency ratings which has been indicated with stars (black) on any electrical appliance they buy from the market and explained that “the more the number of stars on the device, the more the device’s efficiency.” He mentioned cost of fuel, foreign exchange component, technical loses due to old devices and commercial loses due to theft and illegal connection as major challenge facing the foundation.